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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES o0o LÊ THÙY DƢƠNG USING GROUP WORK TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS AT NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY: AN ACTION RESEARCH SỬ DỤNG HOẠT ĐỘNG NHÓM ĐỂ CẢI THIỆN KĨ NĂNG NÓI CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI ĐẠI HỌC KINH TẾ QUỐC DÂN: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI – 2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES o0o LÊ THÙY DƢƠNG USING GROUP WORK TO IMPROVE SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS AT NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY: AN ACTION RESEARCH SỬ DỤNG HOẠT ĐỘNG NHÓM ĐỂ CẢI THIỆN KĨ NĂNG NÓI CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI ĐẠI HỌC KINH TẾ QUỐC DÂN: NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Xuân Thơm HANOI – 2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com DECLARATION I truly certify that this thesis is the result of my personal study in the fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree Master of Arts and this thesis has not been published or summitted for a degree to any other university or institution wholly or partially Hanoi, 2014 Lê Thuỳ Dương i TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ABSTRACT Speaking is of great importance to all learners of English and Vietnamese students also encounter great obstacles when they learn this skill, especially the ones who not major in languages Therefore, finding the solution for this problem becomes urgent This study is to identify the difficulties faced by teachers and students at National Economics University (NEU) in teaching and learning speaking and the effects of using group work as an activity to improve the NEU second-year students’ speaking skills The results reveal that both teachers and students face with a lot of difficulties in teaching and learning speaking skills In addition, using group work has some certain positive effects on improving students’ speaking skills However, there are some limitations and recommendations teachers need to take into consideration when implementing group work, which are also presented in the study ii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge and extend my great thanks to many people who have made the completion of this study possible: First and foremost, I would like to offer the deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Xuân Thơm, who has supported me throughout my thesis with his knowledge and enthusiasm Then, I am extremely grateful to all the lecturers of the Post Graduate Department of University of Languages and International Studies - Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their awesome lectures that have helped to increase my interest in English language and teaching Another special thank goes to my colleagues and students at National Economics University They would be very enthusiastic about taking part in my questionnaires and interviews, which provided me with the facts and figures to complete my research Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the members of my family who gave me the best personal conditions to complete my research Hanoi, 2014 iii (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the study The scope and significance of the study The objectives of the study The research questions The methods of the study The design DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW Speaking 1.1 Nature of speaking 1.2 Different aspects of speaking 1.3 Differentiation between speaking skill and reading skill 1.4 Communicative Language Teaching 10 1.5 Problems of teaching and learning speaking 13 Group work 14 2.1 Definition of group work 14 2.2 Types of group work 15 2.3 The advantages of group work 15 2.4 Some problems and suggestions in using group work 16 2.5 Teacher and students’ interaction in group work 18 CHAPTER 2: THE RESEARCH 19 The methodology 19 1.1 Action research 19 1.2 Data collection 22 1.3 Data analysis and reflection 24 The context 26 iv (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research 2.1 The participants 26 2.2 The textbook 27 2.3 The context of teaching 28 Action research process 28 3.1 Diagnosing 28 3.2 Action planning 28 3.3 Taking action 28 3.4 Evaluating 29 3.5 Specifying learning 29 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 30 Students’ performance and speaking skills 30 1.1 Students’ opinion on speaking skills 30 1.2 Difficulties faced by students when learning speaking 31 1.3 Student’s opinion on using group work to practice speaking skills 32 1.4 Students’ appreciation of group work for the improvement in speaking skills 34 Teachers’ opinions and assessment on teaching speaking skills and the effectiveness of using group work 35 2.1 Teachers’ difficulties when teaching speaking skills 35 2.2 Teachers’ assessment on the effects of group work on improving students’ speaking skills 36 2.3 Difficulties faced by teachers when using group work 37 2.4 Teachers’ suggestions for using group work 38 Material assessment 39 3.1 Strengths 39 3.2 Weaknesses 40 CONCLUSION 41 Summary of the findings 41 Limitations 43 v (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research Recommendations for further study 43 REFERENCES 44 I Books and articles 44 II Websites 45 APPENDIX I APPENDIX II APPENDIX IV APPENDIX V vi (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research INTRODUCTION Rationale of the study In today‟s world, it cannot be denied that English plays a vital role in every field of social life since it is the most common language used in communication among people who come from different countries and regions English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in a large number of countries In many places all over the world, people use English in parallel with their mother tongue A majority of books, cultural or business documents are published in English Therefore, learning English becomes more and more essential in the context of globalization Using English proficiently not only allows people to adapt to global work place but provides the access to the treasure of knowledge and cultural understanding all over the world today as well As a result, it is better to consider mastering English beside the mother tongue in order to open the wealthiest treasure of knowledge and culture and be able to succeed in the working environment Vietnamese people are not an exception, especially when Vietnam is a developing country on the way of integration To master English (or any languages), speaking is one of the most important and essential skills that must be practiced to communicate well People who have ability in speaking will be better in sending and receiving information The mastery of speaking skill is a priority for many second and foreign language learners Learners often evaluate their success in language learning of English on the basis how they are good at speaking Having been teaching English for several years at a university where students not specialize in languages (particularly English), I have drawn the conclusion that most of my students are not good at English, especially speaking Being afraid of making mistakes, the shortage of vocabulary, mispronouncing a lot of sounds and the lack of practice time are the main reasons for that weakness In some cases, I not understand what my students are talking about and I have to ask them to repeat or explain in English and Vietnamese as well Not being able to express their own (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research ideas in English would be a great barrier for them in the context of integration and globalization How to improve speaking skills for students becomes my biggest consideration For all the aforementioned reasons, I decided to carry out aresearch on using group work to improve speaking skills of the second-year students at National Economics University I hope that my study, to some extent, would be helpful for teachers and learners of English at National Economics University in particular and other universities in general in understanding and using that international language The scope and significance of the study Due to the limitation of time, it is rather difficult for the author to on-going cycles in an action research Therefore, I would present what have been found in one cycle Moreover, because there are a variety of group work activities, I could not cover all of them in such a small scale of a minor thesis As a result, I could only focus on two typical ones Undertaking the study in a specific context, I hope that the result, to some extent, would help me improve my students‟ speaking skills and somehow the current situation of teaching and learning English at National Economics University The objectives of the study The author sets two aims when conducting the research: - To study the advantages and disadvantages of the use of group work in developing speaking skills - To find the effects on students‟ learning when using group work as an activity in teaching speaking skills The research questions - Q1: What are the advantages and disadvantages of group work in teaching speaking skills in the context of large classes? - Q2: What are the effects on students‟ learning when using group work as an activity in teaching speaking skills? + Accuracy (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research 2.3 Difficulties faced by teachers when using group work Difficulties faced by teachers when using group work Percentage Too little time 100 Too many students 100 Lack of academic training in group work 10 Overload group work 70 Multi-level students Students‟ low proficiency in English 50 Students‟ resistance to group participation 20 Less control of students using their mother tongue 90 Less place for groups‟ gathering 10 Table 3: Difficulties faced by teachers when using group work All of the teachers (100%) agreed that too many students in a class and too little time for speaking part were major obstacles that they encountered when they used group work in teaching speaking skills Besides, 90 percent got problems with controlling students‟ participation and their using mother tongue when working in groups 70 percent of the teachers said that some situations in speaking section were too difficult for students, therefore, they took a lot of time to instruct students to go on with the situation 50 percent of the teachers blamed for the students‟ low proficiency in English Two teachers (accounted for 20%) said that some of their students were resistant to work in groups Only one teacher (10%)faced with the lack of training in group work.Most of the teachers believed that group work was a good method to improve students‟ speaking skills in the context of large class and less time, they had taken it into their consideration in order to apply in their class Thanks to the placement test when students entered university, teachers did not have many difficulties in teaching classes where students enormously differed from each other in terms of their English proficiency 37 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research 2.4 Teachers’ suggestions for using group work Solutions teachers offered to overcome the difficulties Percentage Punish lazy and passive students/ groups with bad performance 50 Award students with good performance 100 Propose the administrator to change the learning conditions 20 Try different ways of implementing group work 30 Assign a group leader to help controlling the group 100 Make the speaking tasks easier to students 80 Table 4:Solutions teachers offered to overcome the difficulties Teachers‟ solutions to cope with difficulties in using group work in teaching speaking skill were summarized in table All of the teachers (100 percent) chose to assign a group leader to help controlling the group and give good marks or bonus to students with good performance in class 80 percent said that they would make the speaking topics or situations become easier to students and 50 percent punished lazy and passive students or the whole groups with bad performance so that they could encourage each other to work more effectively 30 percent tried to implement group work in different ways 20% was the respondents who chose to propose the administrator to change the learning conditions In my point of view, assigning group leaders is a really effective way in controlling the group‟s activities and teachers should that right after dividing the class into smaller groups I also agree to give bonus to students with good performance and punish lazy students (by subtracting their marks) By this way, students have strong motivation to the task well Finally, I propose a solution that teachers should make the task easier for students by some ways For example, teacher could analyze the situation or topic with the whole class; give them clear instruction on how to start and end a conversation; provide useful structures or some tips to make the conversation natural and interesting In summary, there are different ways to implement group work and make it more effective to meet the researchers‟ targets 38 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research Material assessment The area of ELT textbook evaluation seems to be under-researched, with a limited supply of relevant literature (Dendrinos 1992, Sheldon 1988, Lits 2005) ELT materials evaluation or more precisely textbook evaluation, “involves measuring the value or (potential value) of a set of learning materials [textbooks] by making judgments about the effect of the materials [textbook] on the people using them” (Tomlinson & Masuhara 2004) The work of Cunningsworth has helped to provide a good brief summary of how a leveled evaluation can be conducted When applying the impressionistic method, we take the literal meaning of the method by quickly looking through the textbook cover to cover, to try and get an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the book An in-depth evaluation will be undertaken subsequently to provide a detailed evaluation of specific items in teach textbook on areas such as how the exercises can cater for the syllabus and learners‟ needs (Cunningsworth 1995, McDonough & Shaw 1993) I would like to take Cunningsworth‟s point of view when evaluating the course book Intelligent Business, pre-intermediate, by Tonya Trappe and Graham Tullis 3.1 Strengths * Layout and design The course book layout and design are clear and appealing to the majority of students The book contains 15 units and five reviews Each unit consists of five parts: Reading, Language, Vocabulary, Carrer skils and Dilemma and Decision Besides, it has glossary, glossary test (to test the important vocabulary presented in the book), grammar reference and audio scripts for listening part Moreover, the authors insert pictures into most of the parts of one unit, therefore, they help students a lot in assessing the task or understanding the text * Activities There is a balance of activities and a substantial amount of aural language input and a wide variety of communicative activities in the course book There are activities for speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar exercises or vocabulary 39 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research enrichment Teachers can easily to organize the task from controlled practice to less controlled or free practice Students can work individually or in pairs or in groups * Language content Intelligent Business is a dynamic and flexible book with an integrated range of components to develop students‟ knowledge of the business world and the skills to work within it Each unit exploits a business-related topic The topic-based activities provide an accessible introduction to the concepts and language of today‟s business world With featuring authentic texts from the well-respected Economist magazine, the course book material is informative, up-to-date and highly motivating * Skills The book helps students improve all four language skills with speaking, listening, reading and writing Furthermore, it has grammar rules and exercises for them to practice and vocabulary to enhance * Language type The language used in the course book is authentic and realistic because it is taken from different authentic sources, such as BBC News, The Economist, The Guardian The language used in business world is really relevant National Economics University students‟ needs 3.2 Weaknesses Despite a large number of good points, the course book still has some minor weaknesses * Layout and design The cover is not as attractive as the content page There are only three small images at the top and then comes the name of the book * Skills The writing skill is not placed strong focus on when there is only one small part which requires writing in Dilemma and Decision * Language type The language used in the course book is rather difficult for students at low level of English proficiency, especially ones who are not familiar to the business world 40 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research CONCLUSION Summary of the findings It is necessary for students to improve their English proficiency, especially speaking skills Therefore, how to improve students‟ speaking skills becomes an urgent problem for educators This study only focuses on using group work activities as a strategy to help students improve their speaking ability The results of the study on using group work to improve the second-year students‟ speaking skills at NEU can be summarized as follows: * Difficulties encountered by teachers and students in teaching and learning speaking: Students faced a lot of obstacles in speaking lessons The greatest ones fell into their scare of making mistakes (or losing face) and their lack of vocabulary Another problem came from the topics and situations in the course book: they were difficult and unfamiliar with students Teachers also met a lot of difficulties in teaching speaking skills They often lacked time to implement speaking tasks because besides speaking they had other skills to help students to improve and other classroom activities to The large number of students in a class was also problematic As a result, teachers found it difficult to involve every student in speaking time and to control the frequency of students‟ using of mother tongue * The effects on students’ learning when using group work as an activity in teaching speaking skills: For students, group work is beneficial because it helps decreasing their anxiety and increasing their confidence when speaking It also provides students with more opportunities to speak in English and to correct mistakes for each other, by which they can speak more fluently and accurately For teachers, the greatest advantage of group work is to deal with teaching speaking skills in the context of large class and less time It helps free them from the role of 41 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research „an expert who always lectures‟ However, they still achieve the objective of improving students‟ speaking skills in the context of large class and limited time * Problems and suggestions when using group work as an activity to improve students’ speaking skills: Although group work has certain positive effects on students‟ progress in speaking skills, there still remain some problems concerning teachers, students and classroom conditions Concerning students, there are a number of passive and lazy students who are resistant to work in group and their using mother tongue while practice speaking Some students are at low English proficiency, which is one of the problems from the students Students must be aware of the importance of acquiring English skills, especially speaking in the context of integration and globalization They should enrich their vocabulary and develop their English by taking part in some English clubs or taking some courses in English or using mass media to self-study Concerning teachers, the biggest problem that they are afraid of when using group work is the shortage of time, the number of students in a class as well as the control of students‟ participation Furthermore, overload group work is also teachers‟ considerable concern Classroom conditions are not good because the teachers lack of place for the groups‟ gathering To have better group work, the author offers some recommendations as follows: Assigning a group leader to control the participation of the group members and the frequency of using students‟ mother tongue Award students with good performance and punish lazy and passive ones Make the speaking tasks easier to students by instructing them carefully before work 42 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research Limitations Although the study was conducted to the best of the researcher‟s effort, limitations were unavoidable In this study, the researcher did not have enough time to carry out ongoing cycles of an action research Therefore, the results would be better if she revised her plan and acted again Moreover, because the students taking part in the study were in one class the researcher taught, not all the second-year students at National Economics University, their opinion on speaking and the effect of using group work to improve students‟ speaking ability might not be representatives of all students at National Economics University Recommendations for further study Due to the limitation of time and scale, the researcher could not cover everything in the field of the study There exist a lot of interesting issues which needs researching, such as strategies to organize group work activities in the context of large class, how to control students‟ talking time and their using mother tongue in groups or how to help students group work effectively 43 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research REFERENCES I Books and articles Brown, G & Yule, G (1989) Teaching the Spoken Language, Cambridge University Press Burns, A (1999) Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers, The UK CUP Byrne, D (1896) Teaching Oral English, Oxford: Longman Burns, A & Joyce, H (1997) Focus on Speaking Syney: National Center for English Language Teaching and Approach Emma Rosana Febriyanti, Teaching Speaking of English as a Foreign Language: Problems and Solutions Gillham, B (2000) Developing a Questionnaire, London and New York, Continuum Herbert Altrichter, Allan Feldman, Peter Posch and Bridget Somekh, Teachers Investigate their Work– An introduction to action research across the professions, Second edition I-Jung, C (2004, April) Utilizing group work effectively in the English language classroom, TESL reporter, 37(1), 1-7 Jack C Richard Communicative Language Teaching Today, Cambridge University Press 10 Kayi, H Teaching speaking: Activities to Promote Speaking in a Second Language, Internet TESL Journal, Vol XII, No.11, Nov 2006, retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Kayi-TeachingSpeaking.html 11 Larsen-Freeman, D (2000).Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching Oxford University Press 12 Michael H Long and Patricia A Porter, Group Work, Interlanguage Talk, and Second Language Acquisition, TESOL Quarterly, Vol.19, No.2 (Jun 1985) pp 207-288 44 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research 13 Nunan, D (2003) Practical English Language Teaching, New York: McGraw-Hill 14 Nguyen Hoa, An Introduction to Discourse Analysis, A coursebook for students at University of Language and International Studies 15 Susan holden, Drama in Language Teaching, Longman, 1981 16 Peter Hubbard [et al], A Training Course for TEFL, Oxford University Press 17 Thuy, Đ The use of group work activities for improving speaking skills of the first year students at Thai Nguyen College of Mechanics and Metallurgy, M.A Minor Thesis 18 Valsa Koshy, Action Research for Improving Practice – A Practical Guide, Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005 II Websites http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/ http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/ http://www.prodait.iehosting.co.uk/ http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/ http://www.princeton.edu/ http://www.cmu.edu/ http://www.web.ca/ http://libweb.surrey.ac.uk/ http://busyteacher.org/ http://sydney.edu.au/ http://area.dge.mec.pt/ http://celt.ust.hk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ https://www.jstor.org/ http://www.haskins.yale.edu/ http://iteslj.org/ http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/ 45 (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE (for students) This questionnaire is designed for the purpose of study only, therefore, your truthful answers are very important to the study and also help to improve the current state of my teaching Thank you very much for your cooperation! Please circle the answer that best suitable for you: How important is speaking skill to you? a Very important c Quite important b Important d Not important How much you consider improving speaking skill? a Very much c Not much b Much d Not at all Why you want to improve speaking skills? (you can choose more than one) a It is compulsory at university b You want to pass the oral test c It is necessary for your future job d You want to use English to communicate with others e You are interested in speaking English How often you use English in the speaking lesson? a Most of the time c Sometimes b Frequently d Never Do you use English outside class? a Yes b No What are the main troubles when you use English as a means of communication? (You can choose more than one answer) a Being afraid of making mistakes b Being shy c The lack of vocabulary d Topics are difficult and/ or unfamiliar e Others (please state clearly) …………………………………………………………………………… I (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE (for teachers) This questionnaire is designed for my study on the effectiveness of using group work to improve speaking skills of the second-year students at National Economics University I am sure that the data are collected for the purpose of study only Thank you very much for your time and cooperation! Please circle the answer that best suitable for you: How much you like teaching speaking skills? a very much b much c little d not at all Which difficulties you face with when teaching speaking skills?(you can choose more than one) a the control of students‟ participation b the shortage of time c the number of students in a class d students‟ psychological problems e students‟ characteristics f the frequency of using students‟ mother tongue g classroom conditions h too difficult topics or situations i others (please specify) …………………………………………………… How often you use group work activities in your speaking lesson? a always b often c sometimes d never How important is group work in teaching speaking, in your opinion? a very b quite c little d not at all How much does group work help you in teaching speaking skill? a very much b much c little d not at all What of the following benefits does group work bring to you?(you can choose more than one) a It increases students‟ talking time b It gives students a chance to correct mistakes for each other and learn from others‟ mistakes c It allows students to broaden their knowledge II (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research d It increases students‟ autonomy in practice speaking e It encourages shy and passive students to speak out f It frees the teacher from his/ her duty g It decreases teacher‟s speaking time h Others (please specify) …………………………………………………………… How often you get into troubles when using group work? a always b often c sometimes d never Which difficulties you experience when using group work to improve students’ speaking skill? (you can choose more than one) a too little time b too many students c lack of academic training in group work d overload group work e multi-level students f students‟ low proficiency in English g students‟ resistance to group participation h less control of students using their mother tongue i less place for groups‟ gathering k others (please specify) ………………………………………………………… What solutions you offer to overcome these difficulties? (you can choose more than 1) a punish lazy and passive students/ groups with bad performance b propose the administrator to change the learning conditions c make speaking tasks easier to students d try different ways of implementing group work e assign a group leader to help control the group f others (please specify)…………………………………………………………… III (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research APPENDIX INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Do you like working in groups to practice speaking? Why (not)? Do you follow the teacher‟s instruction in speaking lesson? Do you follow the teacher‟s instruction on practice speaking at home? Working with the students you like or working in groups whose members are assigned by the teacher, which one you prefer? Do you like working in a group where members are at the same level or different level? Why? Do you think assigning a group leader is necessary? Why (not)? When you work in groups, all the members equally have a chance to speak? After a semester with the changes in speaking lesson (grouping, requirements, topics), you think you make progress in speaking? IV (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research APPENDIX SAMPLE OF SPEAKING SITUATIONS (Unit 2: Leadership) Situation Candidate A: You are taking part in an interview for a HR Manager Introduce yourself, using the information below: Name: Lucy Park Age: 25 Qualification: University Degree Skills: presentation, communication, computer Working experience: years working in HR Department You need to prepare for other questions given by the interviewer Candidate B: You are the general director of a company and interviewing a person for HR Manager Position Introduce yourself, using the information given below: Name: Tom Smith Position: General Director Task: ask questions You need to ask the interviewee about the characteristics of a good manager You should prepare to give your opinion on what the interviewee says Further questions What are the things you consider most when looking for a job? What is the most important? What are the characteristics of a “difficult boss”? What should you if you have a difficult boss? Situation Two of you (student A and student B) are working for an international IT company based in Vietnam Your company plan to recruit a new CEO next month Who would you expect him/her to be? You will join in a discussion about management styles and motivational techniques of the CEO and then make a conclusion about the suitable V (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research (LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research(LUAN.van.THAC.si).using.group.work.to.improve.speaking.skills.of.the.second.year.students.at.national.economics.university.an.action.research
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